First Review: Foxtel in 2007

As the leader in Pay TV (or as they prefer it to be called, ‘subscription TV’) Foxtel had itself a nice little year. Little in terms of its ratings, but mighty in its impact on the diminishing Free to Air audience.

Foxtel traditionally doesn’t release many numbers because it argues that having multiple channels and multiple viewings (aka repeats) is an unfair yardstick against FTA. Of course they’re right but it also helps them to conceal low-performing products too.

What is clear is that the combined nightly subscription audience is on a par with the ABC. Last we heard around 25% of homes were connected and it’s growing all the time.

Sport overwhelmingly dominates the big attractions on Foxtel. When it started the year it was still in a protracted Mexican standoff with Seven and TEN over the pricing of AFL. Eventually it settled on $315m over 5 years, leaving the AFL as the big winner. After their ads were rejected by Seven and TEN, nobody expected Foxtel to then go and sponsor Nine’s Footy Show. It was like dealing with the devil as Foxtel boisterously claimed more games than any other network.

It wasn’t Foxtel’s only fight with Seven, who threw down the gauntlet by announcing it would introduce TiVo to Australasia, a clear taunt to Foxtel’s iQ. That sent Foxtel back to the drawing board, revamping a custom-made iQHD due in 2008.

Foxtel was also part of a winning bloc that saw Seven’s C7 courtcase fail.

In original programming 2007 saw the last of the acclaimed series Love My Way. But the third season was only seen by a portion of its following now Foxtel has a habit of bumping its most enticing products onto the top tier channels. If Free to Air ever picks this series up (and why hasn’t that happened yet?) the rest of Australia will get to see why it has deservedly swept industry awards and won unanimous accolades.

Foxtel’s best new drama this year was the Graham Kennedy bio, The King. Stephen Curry’s performance as the sad clown was a tour-de-force and Matt Saville’s direction may have been small in platform but not in ambitions. Tackling Kennedy’s homosexual lifestyle ensured plenty of media, including criticism torpedoed by some of Kennedy’s closest confidantes.

Melbourne-made brothel drama, Satisfaction, didn’t shy away from confronting sexual romps in its sympathetic look at high-class hookers. Again on top-tier packaging only high-class customers were able to bite the cherry (or metaphorically lose it?). A second season begins in 08.

Tropfest winner Rob Carlton did well with his film production comedy, Chandon Pictures. Stupid Stupid Man forgave Matthew Newton his indiscretions with a second tabloid season of its blokey mag CoQ.

Meanwhile Foxtel got into bed with real-life gossip gurus via Confidential TV. Despite a strong launch, the News Limited magazine show seemed to peter out quietly, with nobody willing to confirm or deny a second season –that’s worthy of an item in the column itself, surely?

Also sinking without trace was the awkward Singing Office. Julia Morris’ return to telly was the one saving grace in this show which gave bad singing a platform and then expected judges to gush. Like karaoke, it was obviously more fun for those on stage than off.

Channel V had to apologise after it asked viewers to SMS their favourite ‘memories on ice’ during a promo for the movie Blades of Glory. “Everything’s great on meth!”, “Lots of sex” and “Too many to name” were the answers it clumsily put to air.

More respect came from Ovation’s Masterclass series, allowing AFTRS students to get hear from Aussie filmmakers in a forum not dissimilar to Inside the Actor’s Studio (two shows worthy of an ABC audience). Deborah Lee Furness also chatted to some of our best in The Directors. Ovation also brought us An Audience with Stephen Sondheim.

Foxtel continued to respond to an aggrieved FTA audience, swooping on Nine’s axing of The Young and The Restless. It also aligned itself with all the big overseas awards shows (Emmys, Golden Globes, American Music Awards, Grammys, Tony Awards) most of which were live, plus our own Helpmanns and AVMAs.

Australia’s Next Top Model had a bumper year attracting plenty of fans and press. More is coming, and with it a local Project Runway. There were local boxers in The Contender, but no such representation in the poorly-received Spielberg reality contest On The Lot. Foxtel has also stitched up American Idol for 2008 to air on a same-day basis.

Crime Investigation Australia continues to profile our darkest, unsolved mysteries to such excellence that Nine picked up the series. Its story on Wanda Beach Murders and the Beaumont Children elicited new evidence in a compelling interview. The History Channel again delivered outstanding documentaries, this year Thanks for Listening: The History of Australian Radio.

Former Beast Stan Zemanek lost his battle with cancer.

High School Musical 2 and Gossip Girl attracted huge audiences. Watching Rosie O’Donnell screaming at Elisabeth Hasselbeck and seeing Ellen deGeneres sob on screen were rare Pay TV treats. Other hot overseas brands include Dirt, the controversial Bali film Long Road to Heaven and the long-awaited arrival of the delicious and malicious Dexter. The serial killer resides on new channel, Showcase.

This year Foxtel took control of the Arena Channel and promised Business Channel and 4 yet-to-be-revealed HD channels will launch in 2008.

Elsewhere Foxtel also bumped up its prices, introduced a revamped magazine and unleashed its first Foxtel blog (hurrah!). It also announced the capacity to programme the iQ from mobile phones with Remote Record.

Working to an aggressive business plan, much of Foxtel’s innovations are designed to favour and re-promote its most expensive brands. Whether via ads in its mags, or reruns on its On Demand channel, the network never quite seems happy that a large chunk of its audience sticks with basic packages.

Still, with successes like Love My Way, The King, Australia’s Next Top Model and Satisfaction, the network is considered a producer’s dream and from the outside it gives the appearance of cherry-picking the best of the crop.

SBS in 2007
TEN in 2007
Nine in 2007
Seven in 2007
The ABC in 2007